The Central Andes are characterized by the early emergence of complex societies and a chequered yet continuous cultural tradition. However, at least for certain points of time in the cultural development, the overall cohesiveness of this ‘culture area’ has been called into question, favoring an alternative perspective that emphasizes the existence of several relatively independent nuclei of development on the North Coast, the southern Peruvian Highlands and the Titicaca basin, with distinct cultural expressions and political organization. Here, we engage archaeological evidence and its interpretation with newly emerging perspectives from linguistics and genetics (modern and ancient DNA), including new targeted genetic analysis, to add fresh evidence to the question of the internal structure and cohesiveness of the ancient Central Andes as a culture area. The double cultural/biological approach points at a North vs. South structure bisecting the Central Andes that becomes appreciable ~2,000 years ago; however, as the evidence from all three disciplines indicates, too, the spheres have remained connected and hence maintained an overall cohesiveness. Our analysis suggests that demographic population structure precedes the constitution of distinct cultural domains, a pattern which is to be verified in other chronological transects in South America and at a global scale.

安第斯中部地区的特征是复杂社会的早日兴起和方格但持续的文化传统。但是，至少在文化发展的某些时间点，这个“文化区”的整体凝聚力受到了质疑，它偏向另一种观点，即强调北海岸存在着几个相对独立的发展核心。秘鲁南部高地和的喀喀盆地，有着独特的文化表现形式和政治组织。在这里，我们将考古学证据及其解释与来自语言学和遗传学（现代和古代DNA）的新兴观点结合起来，包括新的针对性遗传分析，为古代安第斯中部文化区域的内部结构和凝聚力问题提供新的证据。文化/生物学双重方法指向将安第斯中部一分为二的北向南结构，这种结构在大约2000年前就已开始显现。但是，正如来自所有三个学科的证据所表明的，这些领域仍然保持联系，因此保持了整体凝聚力。我们的分析表明，人口结构先于不同文化领域的构成，这一模式有待南美和全球其他时间序列的验证。正如所有三个学科的证据所表明的那样，这些领域仍然保持联系，因此保持了整体凝聚力。我们的分析表明，人口结构先于不同文化领域的构成，这一模式有待南美和全球其他时间序列的验证。正如所有三个学科的证据所表明的那样，这些领域仍然保持联系，因此保持了整体凝聚力。我们的分析表明，人口结构先于不同文化领域的构成，这一模式有待南美和全球其他时间序列的验证。